Roses in Winter: Carlisle's Journals - The Journey of a Father
by WhisperingWolf
Summary: This is a companion piece to Roses in Winter. You need to read Roses first to fully understand this.
1. Title Page

Story Title: Roses in Winter: Carlisle's Journals – The Journey of a Father

Author: Whispering Wolf

Rating: PG

For those of you who have read Roses in Winter, this is a companion piece to that. For those of you who have not read Roses in Winter, I highly suggest that you do, before you continue reading this.

Carlisle's Journals are not a retelling of the story, nor do they entirely parallel the story chapter for chapter. This story tells the emotional journey that Carlisle took throughout the story in a collection of journal entries. Though the language that is used herein will lack profanity, the journal entries will still maintain the sensitive subjects discussed within Roses: child abuse, stalking, serial killers, and neglect.


	2. Suspicions

_January 28, 2009_

_I came here to write my thoughts as I often do, but I find myself confused. I don't often find myself lacking the words with which to voice my thoughts, today however I find that words are inadequate. I have noticed changes taking place with Emmett, they started roughly two days ago, at least that is when I first noticed them. He has been far more quiet lately, appearing to be more introspective than before. My son, the guardian of our coven, has been…guarded, secretive and I don't understand why. I have always respected my children's privacy, but I fear that if he does not come to me soon I may need to go to him. It is clear to me that something is bothering him, something that he finds it difficult to speak of. Even Edward has told me that Emmett is actively blocking him and has been for almost three days now. Something is wrong. _

_January 30, 2009_

_I have no words. I am sitting here with one hand over my mouth and the other holding my pen as I write and I feel very…conflicted. Emmett finally came to me today, to my office at the hospital in fact. I have never seen him so unsettled. When he finally spoke to me, finally gave voice to his concerns I must admit that the only thing that kept me from reacting as a father is my training as a doctor. For my son to have seen the signs that led him to suspect abuse or neglect is troubling enough, but for the person he suspects it if to be Angela Weber… _

_I have met Angela a few times, the first of course being at the career day held at Forks High School. She is an intelligent girl, very sweet, very quiet. To think of someone willingly bringing harm to her or abandoning her is beyond my ability to comprehend. Emmett, of course, has taken it upon himself to be a big brother to her, to protect her and I can't say I'm unhappy about it. I still remember the boy in nineteen-sixty-five, Sean Mullins. He was the only human in that school that Emmett got along with; he even brought him home once. I wasn't certain what Emmett's plan had been, but when we both discovered his abuse and I found the evidence of his internal bleeding caused by the repeated blows to his kidneys and abdomen…it was only by the grace of god and Rosalie's tempering hand that kept Emmett from killing the boy's father. _

_To think of the same thing happening to Angela makes it very difficult for me to think clearly. For anyone to harm their own child is incomprehensible. Even the human parents who utilize corporal punishment make it hard for me to be civil. I understand the method and that the desire is not to bring harm, but that understanding doesn't make me like it. I would never raise a hand to my children, not in that manner. Sparring, however, is a different story and Emmett has agreed to spar with me tonight. I need to work out my frustrations and Emmett wishes to talk more with me about his observations, somewhere that we can both be alone. He doesn't want anyone else to know of his suspicions yet, not until he can either confirm or deny them. _

_February 2, 2009_

_It isn't often that I bring my journal to work, or have it brought to me, but tonight I am unwilling to leave. My shift ended thirty minutes ago, but I am still here at the hospital sitting in the room that has always been kept empty. Tonight I found out exactly why it's been kept empty by all the nursing staff. This room is reserved for Angela Weber. According to Camille – Nurse Marks, Angela has been coming here to sleep off and on since she was twelve. What twelve year old finds more safety and comfort in a cold hospital than they do their own home unless they're being abused? _

_I had Esme bring a quilt down for her, Edward brought it instead and after reading my thoughts he has encouraged me to speak of this to Esme. It isn't often that I keep anything from her, but just as with Emmett, I felt the need to have confirmation of her situation before I spoke to anyone else about it. I will talk with Esme tomorrow, or later this morning, we will decide together what to do._

_Every now and then Angela will stir in her sleep, whimper or call out for someone; a few times I have heard the beginnings of my son's name. She only sleeps peacefully when I hold her hand. This poor child seems so frightened in her sleep and I can almost feel the loneliness surrounding her. What has happened to this poor child and where is her support? Why is she sleeping in a hospital instead of at home? Why is she alone?_


	3. A Father's Heart

_February 13, 2009_

_I brought my journal to work with me again. I find myself doing that more often of late as my thoughts seem to be focused on Angela, and Emmett's suspicions that have become mine as well. I spoke with Esme this morning, brought to her my concerns, Emmett's concerns and the observations we have both made. She agreed that something is indeed wrong and has supported Emmett's decision and mine to look after her. I'm not certain what more we can do than watch over her, but in her own way, my beautiful wife assured me that things would work themselves out. I find myself concerned now more than ever, my shift barely started over an hour ago, but I feel that something has changed. Something doesn't feel right. I will have to pause for now as I have been called down to the emergency room. _

_I have finally taken my lunch break now and though I have never found a use for it previously, I have been questioned recently by Camille as to why I'm not taking it. She is quite observant for a human, though I'm certain that having a husband who is an Army Ranger helps her in that regard. I have come back to this journal as in the time since I left it; my mind has been filled with the statements made by Rosalie this morning. She told me that when she was with Angela at her house, the girl talked in her sleep, stated of being in pain. From what Rose said, nothing has been able to alleviate Angela's pain, but as she also said there was nothing to tell of what her pain was from. _

_I am finding it very difficult to look at this situation dispassionately, especially after the night I spent with her here in the hospital. Something isn't right, but I fear that it may be more than what either Emmett or I have suspected. From my observations of her, she is too thin and she is terribly frightened. I can still feel her hand gripping mine like some kind of specter seeking safety. I felt it stronger that night, but I still feel it now, the need to protect her. If it is in my power to help her, to keep her from harm, then I will. She reminds me too much of Esme for me to allow her suffering to continue. I will return later as it appears that my lunch hour has ended. _

_I have never felt such rage in my life. It is with a shaking hand that I am writing these thoughts now. A vampire's trembling is nothing like a human's and no human would be able to tell how upset I am at this moment. Edward and Emmett brought Angela into my office a few moments ago, but not before Alice arrived first. She came to me with a half full bottle of water, telling me that she didn't understand why, but that her visions were telling her it was the water making Angela sick. At first, I thought dysentery, but the water carried a sweet metallic scent not the dirty bitter scent that bacteria carries. _

_When I put on my doctor's coat to take the bottle of water down to the lab I saw Alice's eyes become unfocused, a clear sign of her visions taking hold. She didn't understand what she was being shown, told me that the test results didn't make any sense and when I asked her to tell me what she saw, the word she spoke made me feel at once both enraged and incredibly confused. Ipecac. Angela's parents, the only people possible who could lace her water with the drug without her knowledge, have essentially poisoned her. The drug may not kill her, but it does make a human violently ill. Why would they – why would anyone give their own child such a drug in this manner? _

_It was with great care that I kept calm upon seeing her, part of me wishing to take her from my son's arms if only to ensure her safety myself. Emmett had her wrapped in a blanket, the cloth thick and heavy around her, but still she shivered. I could feel the trembling of her muscles through the blanket, her tall frame looking infinitely small and fragile where she laid on the couch in my office. She couldn't form the words to speak, her body too exhausted and weak for it to listen to her commands. Edward translated her thoughts though and I have never wanted so much to protect someone as I did her in that moment. _

_It is strange to realize how unsettled I felt when I sat beside her. I still feel the same need to protect her now as I did then, but it doesn't feel as…maddening as it did when she was here. I believe that what I felt is simply the desire of a father to protect his children, regardless of the fact that she is not mine and may never be mine. It is still difficult for me to understand why someone would drug their own child in such a manner, or keep them awake all night as her fragmented thoughts told Edward they had. Whatever it takes, I will protect her, for I fear I will be driven insane if I do not. _


	4. Warming Hearts

_February 14, 2009_

_I stopped by Angela's house on my way home last night. I must admit that I took no notice of anything in her house save for her scent and Emmett's that I followed up stairs to her bedroom. The sight of her fragile human body hidden beneath the thickness of blankets and wrapped in my son's arms was as disarming as it was endearing. The sight of her tucked against his side with her head pillowed on his chest stilled my mind even as it warmed my heart. It brought me a sense of peace to see her sleeping so deeply, her hand fisted in Emmett's shirt next to her face. _

_When I sat down on the bed behind her, she stirred only to curl closer to Emmett and I chuckled at the sight of his adoring smile. I saw in that moment how attached he is to her and I can't say that I am any less affected by her pull either, nor am I unhappy about it. The need to protect her was still there, but it wasn't as maddening as it was either time in the hospital. I felt calmer then, simply drawn to her in the same manner that I am to my other children. It seems that I have already accepted her as one of my own, even if I hadn't consciously admitted it beforehand. She is in my heart. _

_It still amuses me, what Emmett told me last night. He had tried several times to put a pillow between his body and Angela's, but he said she wouldn't have it. He told me that it kept her awake and she would tug it out of place. She only slept when in direct contact with him. The expression on her face, even as weak as she was, still seemed peaceful and happy as though she had found the comfort she has always been seeking. I have no doubt that after this experience, all of my family will be paying closer attention to her and guarding her, whether she's aware of it or not._

_When I came home Esme asked me about Angela, having heard from Alice and Rosalie the events that had taken place at school. I told her all I could and I wasn't surprised in the least when she insisted on seeing Angela for herself. I took her back with me a few moments later, knowing that she wouldn't be satisfied until she saw her and found myself humbled by the way my wife took to Angela. She sat down next to Emmett, studied the girl's sleeping face and touched her cheek. It can take only seconds for a vampire's heart to accept someone new into their lives and Angela seems to have an almost instantaneous hold on each of us. Strangely enough, I don't think that any one of us is upset by it in the least. _

_I watched as Esme stood and just when I thought she was ready to leave, she stepped over to a small bookshelf nearly hidden inside Angela's closet and pulled out a well worn copy of Black Beauty. My beautiful, loving, passionate and incredibly kind wife told me that she wanted Angela to know that she wasn't alone. She took her seat beside Emmett once more and read to Angela. She read the entire book to her. We didn't leave until just before sunrise and I knew that she was in good hands and would be well taken care of by my children. I wonder…what events will bring Angela into our family? What events will lead to her finding out what we are or even possibly becoming one of us?_


	5. Beginnings

_February 21, 2009_

_I have noticed Rosalie's attitude change over the passing weeks. She has never once been hesitant to vocalize her thoughts and feelings before, especially not if she is unhappy with something, but lately she has become almost withdrawn. I am uncertain why this change has taken place and even consulted Edward on the matter only to be told that she is blocking my son's talent. She seems a touch edgier than usual, but for her to be silent as to the reasoning is unlike her. At first I thought her upset had to do with Angela, but she was very adamant that she did not have a problem with Emmett's attentiveness toward the human girl. I don't know what to make of this change and getting her to talk about it seems nearly impossible. I will think on this matter more today, but have been called in to the hospital to fill in for Dr. Richards. It is almost criminal for an obstetrician to become ill, especially when they have three women so close to their due dates._

_It was an eventful day and the administrative staff at Forks hospital seems more grateful than ever that my knowledge of specialties is so vast. I texted Emmett on my way home as I felt the need to speak with him in regards to Rosalie, hoping perhaps he had some insight to offer. I must say that I was rather surprised when he told me he was with Angela; after all it was very near midnight when I messaged him. I went to her house and upon arriving he messaged that he had left her front door open. I found him the same position that I had a few weeks ago when she ill. _

_I asked him about his new found habit of staying with Angela and holding her while she slept, the answer he gave was not one I was prepared for. He told me that after she had recovered, he had found that she didn't seem as exhausted as she usually does. He also told me that he had started setting up study dates with her, sessions that he has no need for, but that have given him the excuse of spending time with her in the evenings. I thought perhaps that this may be the reason for Rosalie's upset and spoke with him of my concerns. I must say that I was surprised to learn that she was supportive of his decision and asked him if Angela was aware that she wasn't actually sleeping alone anymore._

_Of course, my son hadn't informed her, and yes that knowledge amuses me. He told me that she usually falls asleep on his shoulder after about two hours and that it is Rosalie who has been changing her into sleeping clothes. Once she is settled beneath the blankets in her bed, that is when he lies down next to her and Emmett told me it is Angela who always moves in her sleep to curl against his side. I asked him why he has chosen to do this, feeling the need to understand his decision and was surprised at what he revealed. He told me that on the nights he didn't stay with her as she slept she would appear exhausted the next day, but that when he holds her, she sleeps peacefully and deeply. What does this mean, I wonder. _

_There is one other bit of troubling information that Emmett has gathered in the past two weeks that he's spent time with her. He has not seen her parents once. They have not returned home at any time and he has not caught their scent in her house when he comes to see her for their study sessions at night. I find that I am still troubled by the same question I have been for weeks, ever since I came upon her sleeping in the hospital…Why is she alone?_

_I have talked to Alice, but she seems to be confused which is unlike her. I have never known her visions not to give her an answer and neither has she. She has been planning a girl's weekend for her and Bella over Spring Break. I don't know what will come of it, but as she became more distracted it was Edward who informed me that she has been searching her visions for answers about that weekend. Answers to what, he does not know, but I have seen a change in Edward as well. I believe Bella may be softening him a bit for he doesn't seem as troubled as he once did. The change is infinitesimal, but I see it taking place a little more every day. I am grateful that my son has finally found his mate. Bella is good for him and I have seen her grow more confident as well. Apart they are fragile, but together they are invincible, just like Esme and myself. _

_To love and be loved is life's greatest gift. _

_**:::::**_

_It isn't often that I write in here, as I have my own journals as well, but Carlisle was called back into the hospital and left it lying open. I feel very much that something is changing, that we soon will have the answers we've been searching for, I just hope that we will be able to do something more than we have been. I can feel it, the truth of the knowledge as deep within my heart as the love I hold for my husband. She needs us and I believe that we need her as well. _

_Carlisle,_

_I will be gone the remainder of this week and part of the next as I finish the restoration of the house in Massachusetts. It is with a heavy heart that I leave while you are away at the hospital, but my time spent away will be filled with thoughts of you. Be well, my love and help Emmett in whatever way he needs. She needs us and I know you feel that as well. Whatever Emmett needs, help him. _

_I love and I will miss you._

_Esme_


	6. Heartstrings

He walked silently into the room, his attention held by the unfolded paper in his hand. An envelope was held at the back of the papers, his lips curved in a gentle loving smile. He moved around his desk, sitting down slowly and feeling the peacefulness of the night falling over him. His time at the hospital had ended and he felt himself sinking into the words on the paper, the elegant curved script bringing him a sense of serenity. Golden eyes sparkled as he set the paper down on his desk and smoothed out the folds.

_My Dearest Carlisle,_

_It is lonely here in Salem without you, but I must admit that this house holds a certain charm that keeps me endlessly intrigued. It was built in sixteen-fourteen. I found a loose brick in the fireplace in the basement, not surprising considering the age of the house, but behind that brick was a stack of letters. I was simply restoring the home before, but with the discovery of the letters, the house has been added to the historical district. Once it is completely restored the house will be protected. _

_I miss you. Every day I miss you. It's only been a week, but I feel your absence stronger with each passing moment. The sight of your smile as you greet me when you come home, the smell of your skin, the taste of your kiss. It is almost torture to be without you. I miss your touch, your kiss, your caress. I cannot wait until we are together again. I cannot wait until the moment we are reunited. To see your eyes to feel your embrace, it is all that I want. Even as my thoughts are filled with you, I find myself thinking of another as well._

_How is Angela? Is Emmett still guarding her at night? I saw it in her face that night when you took me to see her. She can feel him there even if she is unaware of his presence. She knows that she is no longer alone. I swear to you that there are moments here when I am working on this house and I find myself thinking of her. Even this far away, I can feel that same soft tug that gentle warmth that calls me closer. I believe that my heart has accepted her the same as yours has. I wonder if Alice has made a decision yet. I'll be home the day before her choice needs to be made. Oh, I do hope that she chooses to invite her. _

_Forever will never be long enough._

_Always, with the deepest love,_

_Esme_

He reached for the parchment held in the stiff cardboard box on his desk. Pulling out a single sheet and taking his pen from where it sat in the open journal beside him, he brought the tip to the page.

_My Beautiful Esme,_

_How my heart aches to be without you. I will never be complete as long as we are apart and I feel the distance between us vividly. It is with a yearning heart that I wait for your return. The forests don't feel as free without you by my side and I cannot wait to hold you in my arms once more. I feel my love for you only grow stronger as the time passes and I feel you so deeply within my soul. We are two made one and I will never be happy without you. _

_I am happy to report that since Emmett has begun guarding Angela, holding her while she sleeps; I have not seen her once at the hospital. Her room there has been kept empty and I hope it remains so. I went to Angela's house last night to check on her. Well, to be honest, I went there to check on Emmett. He wasn't there, but Rosalie was. I'm not sure what to make of her attitude. She has been edgy and unsettled since the introduction of Angela, but last night… Last night I found her holding Angela the same way that Emmett has. She looked peaceful, happy even and I found myself unable to disturb either of them. _

_I look forward to hearing more about the letters upon your return. Each moment without you is a moment too long. I miss the sound of your voice. I miss the feel of your hair slipping through my fingers. I miss holding you close and the feel of your skin beneath my fingertips. You are all that I need, all that I could ever want. Be well, my love._

_Forever in my heart._

_Yours always,_

_Carlisle_

He folded the letter, pressing the creases into firm lines before tucking it into the envelope. He wrote her name on the front, his flowing script reminiscent of the era he had been raised in. He attached the self-adhesive stamp to the top right corner and picked up the dampened sponge he used to seal the envelope. He had learned the hard way that a vampire's venom could eat through paper. Setting the envelope aside to take to the post office on his way to the hospital, he reached for his journal and lifted his fountain pen once more.

_April 2, 2009_

_Esme has been gone for a week now and I am missing her more each day. She loves the work she does restoring homes and buildings. The more history a place has the more she adores her work. I am so very proud of her. Many of her restorations have been featured on the covers of architectural magazines and I often wonder how difficult it is for her to stay away from the photographers. It is her work that is being celebrated, but being as we are she cannot be seen in photographs such as those. It would be actual physical evidence that she remains untouched by time. _

_I keep thinking about last night. I didn't know that Edward and Jasper had called Emmett out for an impromptu hunt when I went over to Angela's house. It was a strange thing to find Rosalie being the one holding Angela while she slept. I'm certain that Rose must have known I was there, but I couldn't bring myself to step closer into the room to disturb the peacefulness of the moment. She was…Rosalie was happy. She had this glow about her that I've never seen before. I'm not certain what to make of it. _

_The closer it gets to Spring Break, the more Esme is excited at the prospect of Alice inviting Angela for the girls' weekend event she is having with Bella. I wonder how Rosalie will respond to Angela's presence in our home. Alice still has not said whether or not she will be inviting Angela and the more I watch her search her visions, the more I am beginning to believe that it is possible for her to get a headache. There is one thing that I've found to bring her comfort when her visions are unclear and I wonder if she would be welcoming to it. I see my decision has been made for me; my daughter is waiting for me at the door. She has always loved it when I sing for her, especially when her visions are being as elusive as they are now. _


	7. Discoveries

_April 15, 2009_

_Today was not an easy shift at the hospital. The Bradley boys have always been rambunctious and troublesome. They've been in the ER almost once a month because of their rough housing and unsupervised exploration, but today was by far the worst I've seen from them. Justin apparently had an idea for making bows from rubber bands and sticks, while his brother whittled arrows from branches he cut off a nearby tree. Needless to say, both boys decided to play as Indians and shot each other. Chief Swan was the one to find them and bring them in. I do believe the Chief was more annoyed with the children's antics than their parents were._

_I was nearing the end of my shift when Alice texted me and asked that I gather Angela on my way home from the hospital. It was quite a pleasant surprise to note that she would be attending the girl's weekend my daughter has had planned. I was actually a touch excited to receive the news as even just this morning, Alice had not been able to see whether Angela would be joining us for the weekend or not. What I found when I went to Angela's house though was not at all what I expected and I must say that I am finding it difficult to look at this situation dispassionately. _

_I had been to Angela's house several times before, but each visit previously had been spent conversing with Emmett as he held her while she slept. Tonight, as she was aware of my presence in her home, I took the time to study her home and truly take in the environment. The house itself was spotless, perhaps even cleaner than the hospital. Every surface was free of dust or dirt as though it was kept to a museum's standards of cleanliness. The mantel above the fireplace held a collection of photos, fifteen if I remember correctly and among them there was only one that held Angela. Only one. _

_There were no childhood photos, no baby pictures or family photos. In fact, the singular picture that held Angela was one held in a paper frame that had been taken at the prom. I don't understand how there could be no other photos of her present and Angela does not strike me as the kind of person to hide them. Her house still held no scent of her parents. Aside from the first day after her illness, I have not caught their scent inside her home. She is alone and I don't understand why. Even my children, as independent and capable as they are, always have myself and Esme to rely on and though well protected, we have several family photos. _

_I went up to her room when she had failed to come down after twenty minutes and what I found both shocked and worried me. On her bed lay a large plastic box filled with over twenty neurological MRI and CAT scan films as well as several bottles of medication. She was in so much pain when I came upon her and I can't adequately describe how much it upset me to see her fighting to hide her agony and the fear in her eyes when she realized that I could see the pain she was in. Migraines. Extremely powerful and debilitating migraines. This is the answer to why Emmett has always believed her to be in pain and exhausted all the time. _

_I asked her if I could bring the box with us, if she would allow me to review her medical file. The cautious hope in her eyes, the scent of her tears even as she fought to hide them, it took every bit of control I had not to wrap her in my arms and let her cry. She wouldn't have wanted it though, at least I don't believe she would have and so I turned my attention back to the box and allowed her the time she needed to collect herself. Angela is a very delicate and cautious girl. I will do my best to help her in whatever way I can, whether that means ending her pain or offering her a family. I have already accepted her as one of my own, now it is simply time to allow her to grow comfortable around my family. _

_Medical Journal for Angela Weber – Entry 1: April 15, 2009_

_She is sixteen years old, almost seventeen and began treatments for her migraines less than five years ago. In that time she has been prescribed nine different medications. Not one, not two, but nine. It is unheard of for even an adult to have received so many different medications. In the box that I brought home with us, there are also twenty-six different medical scans of her brain. I have a portable light board here at home and when I put the scans up in chronological order, I was not prepared for what I found. From the age of twelve to six months ago – the most recent of her MRI scans – there is a steady progression of damage done by her migraines. _

_I reviewed each of the medications that she has been prescribed and the potency of the drugs is troubling. Six out of the nine medications that she has been prescribed are not recommended for use by those under the age of twenty five due to their side effects and the interactions that are possible with the heightened levels of hormones in a teenager's system. I found a journal tucked in the corner of the box detailing the reactions she has had from the medications. None of the medications have proven effective for relieving her pain. From what she has written, the longest that any of them has worked is one month and it only takes the edge off. _

_She is dying. This is not supposition, but fact. Her migraines are killing her, slowly, painfully. From what I have seen here, her pain will only grow worse. There must be something that I can do to relieve her pain. She has agreed to let me collect her full and complete medical file for review. I want to know why she hasn't had proper treatment before this. Why has she been bounced from doctor to doctor? Why has she been left alone?_


	8. Realizations

_April 16, 2009_

_I have no explanation for what happened this evening and even less comprehension of it. Jasper had been out hunting, he had left directly after school knowing that he would need to be freshly fed if Bella were to be staying the weekend. When he returned he collapsed. My son could barely move, Edward barely able to read his thoughts and it was with great haste that Edward and I rushed Jasper outside. We had traveled almost five miles from our home before Jasper was able to respond and once he did, I was unprepared for what he revealed. _

_He could feel her migraine. My son has never before mentioned being able to feel physical pain. This may mean that his talents are growing or, a possibility that I find rather frightening, Angela's migraines are stronger than she previously let on. I gave him the option of staying away, advised Jasper that she would be there for the weekend as well, but he refused. It was with great valor that Jasper stood tall, his posture straightening and in that moment I saw the valiant Confederate soldier he had once been._

_He asked us to go back ahead of him, and while we did leave before he did, I stopped to watch him for a moment. He didn't block himself from her pain as I thought he would, instead my son accepted her pain into himself and wrapped his talent around it, somehow blocking Angela from feeling it. I watched him for a moment, humbled and awed by my son. I have never felt more proud to have Jasper as part of my family as I did in that moment. His strength, his courage and fortitude inspired me._

_When we returned to the house I found myself awed once again. Alice and Rosalie had taken Angela's naturally quiet beauty and accentuated it, turning her into a brilliant masterpiece that reminded me of Esme on our wedding day. She blushed when I met her in the hall and I remember how surprised she was when I told her that she was beautiful. It is a strange and troubling thought, as I think over that moment; I'm beginning to suspect that no one has ever told her that before. _

_She is with Jasper now, talking with him over the Civil War. I know that she has no idea how close to that particular subject he is, but I cannot deny my desire to see her reaction when she discovers how he acquired his knowledge. Listening to her questions and observations allows me a surprisingly intimate view of her mind. She is ever so curious and her questions…my daughter has a fascinating mind._

Carlisle stilled, looking down at his journal with disbelieving eyes as he realized the silent thought he had immortalized in ink. He couldn't accurately determine when it had happened, when his view of her had changed, but somewhere over the past month he had come to see her differently.

"Carlisle? What's wrong?" Esme asked as she stepped into his office and moved quietly to his side. "What is it?" she asked, meeting his stunned gaze before following his eyes down to his open journal.

A soft amused breath came from her as a smile bent her lips into a gentle bow. Standing closer to her husband, her arm resting on his shoulder as her fingers played with the hair at the nape of his neck. Leaning against him, she kissed his temple and then his lips when he turned his face up to look into her eyes. His blond brows furrowed; his curiosity and touch of confusion apparent, the sight of his expression drawing her love forth to shine in her eyes.

"I've often found myself thinking the same way," she told him softly.

"When?" he asked as he drew her down to sit in his lap.

"I don't know," Esme told him softly. "I can't clearly define it."

Lifting his fountain pen from the trench between the pages of his journal, Esme brought the tip to the page. Beneath the words he had written, her flowing script appeared and Carlisle smiled as he read her message.

_Our daughter._


	9. His Daughter

Grinning at his wife as his brows quirked in curiosity, he stepped around her and returned to sit behind the desk in his office. It wasn't the first time he had noticed that expression on her face, but its presence did seem to be rather constant this evening. He watched as she followed him into his office and leaned against his desk only to stare out the window behind him. He knew the sun was rising, watched as the brilliant reds and fiery orange-golds shined upon her face. Her smile grew wider as he watched her, her attention turning toward the ceiling and he shook his head in question.

"She is home," Esme said with soft delight. "It feels…complete, like we've been waiting for her."

"Angela?" he asked as a grin slowly drew across his face.

"Mmhmm," Esme nodded and breathed in deeply. "I can't turn away from the sound of her heartbeat. Emmett's been pacing," she chuckled. "She's here with us now, but he isn't holding her like he has been for the past few weeks. I think it's driving him a little nuts."

Carlisle chuckled. "Yes, I noticed that, too. She's awake already?" he thought aloud as he noticed the tempo of Angela's heartbeat change.

"I'll get breakfast started," Esme said with a brilliant smile before kissing Carlisle deeply. "I'm sure Bella will be awake soon as well."

**:::::**

_April 18, 2009_

_I had honestly expected Angela to sleep far longer than she did. When Jasper took her up to bed the night before last it was already well past midnight and she awoke only moments after the sun began its slow climb into the morning sky. She was enraptured by the sight of the changing sky coloring the tops of the trees beyond the window in her room and I must say that I enjoyed the few moments I was given to watch her. She was too distracted by the sunrise to notice I was there with her, she didn't even hear me call her name, but watching her expression reflected in the glass is something I will not soon forget. She was full of wonder and awe as though the heavens had been laid out before her just for her to see. _

_Jasper was drawn to her as well. I can still see the look on his face when he came into the open doorway to join me. It was as though he was being lured toward her, much like a moth to a flame. Of all of my family, I had believed that he would be the most cautious of her as it is still difficult for him to resist the pull of human blood. I spoke to him of my concern, our voices too low and words too fast for Angela to hear had her attention not been captured by the sight of the sky. I do believe though that even had we been yelling she would not have heard our words. It was my son who surprised me though; Jasper told me that the pull of her emotions was far stronger than the pull of her blood. _

_It was my daughter, Alice, who surprised me again. To find that she is not able to see Angela clearly in her visions for the same disturbing reason that she was unable to see Maria back in Denver…Alice has only confirmed what the medical scans have told me. Angela is dying. I remember Jasper rubbing his chest, the absent motion making it clear to me that what he was reading from Angela was not entirely pleasant, but he wished to remain silent on the matter. Edward wouldn't speak of it either which only concerned me more. _

_She spent the day in the company of my daughters as well as Bella and Esme, her equal excitement and hesitation upon leaving with them making me laugh. I was leaving myself as well, my morning shift at the hospital due to end before Esme would be bringing them all home. It gave Edward and Emmett a chance to hunt and Angela, that poor child had no idea Alice had planned their shopping trip to be in Seattle. I had returned from the hospital almost two hours before they arrived home, the time giving me a chance to review the journal she kept detailing her reactions to the migraine medications. Her diligence gave me the much needed insight into her pain. _

_I could see in her eyes the worry she felt over Alice refusing to allow her to spend her money on anything. I have been there myself once before, when Alice first came to be with our family and declared that my wardrobe was in desperate need of an overhaul. She is quite…enthusiastic about clothing and takes her shopping very seriously. It was the moment when I mentioned the Imitrex not working that proved the most difficult to hold back my emotions. I could see it in her eyes, the way she moved, Angela has been mistreated for the pain she suffers. I am beginning to suspect that she has suffered more than simple neglect at the hands of her parents._

_The sight of her trembling, the sound of her racing heart and the way she tried to hide the truth of her pain from me – all of these things had my temper near its breaking point. The very moment that I wrapped her in my arms all of the dark emotions I was feeling disappeared and the only thought in my mind was protecting her. The feel of her in my arms calmed me almost instantly and I held her close until I felt her trembling cease. I promised her that she was safe in my home, promised that I would allow nothing to harm her. The only other time that I have felt this close to losing my temper before was when the abuse Esme suffered at the hands of her human husband was brought to my attention. _

_Another startling revelation was made last night. One that, when informed earlier this afternoon, had me nearing the edges of my control once again. I heard her get up from her bed, her whispered steps on the carpet and hard wood floors telling me that she wasn't wearing any shoes. I remained out of sight, my family doing the same until we all heard the back door open and close. Almost the very second that she had settled on the boulder in the backyard we were all gathered in the kitchen watching her. Edward's brow was furrowed; his attention locked on Jasper and it was Alice who stopped me when I moved to go to Angela. She insisted that Angela would respond better to Jasper instead and I stood watching as my son moved to her side. _

_It was a bittersweet moment, watching as Jasper wrapped Angela in the blanket before holding her within the circle of his arms. Edward bid us all to leave the windows a few moments later at Jasper's request. It was nearly a half hour later that Jasper came into my office carrying a blanket wrapped Angela in his arms. He asked me for medicine for her, described the pain he was feeling from her and it was with great regret that the only thing I had in my possession was morphine. She needs something stronger than that, something that will specifically target the migraine she is experiencing. I know that I will need to contact a specialist, someone more familiar with migraines in order to better help my daughter._

Carlisle stilled, looking down at his journal and reading over the last two words he'd written he smiled softly.

_It is not the first time I have called Angela my daughter within these pages and I doubt it will be the last. It seems that my heart has already made my decision for me, regardless of Alice's vision. I already consider Angela to be my daughter and it is what makes the next bit of this hard to write and even harder to accept. My daughter is being stalked. We don't know by whom or how this person knows her, all that we know is that she is in danger. That is what she revealed to Jasper last night. That is what drew her out of bed and into the night. _

_She is on her way home now and I find my worry growing. Only a few moments before I came in here and began writing, Jasper revealed that he could still feel her pain. He described the ebb and flow of her migraine to be something like a homing signal. If it is powerful enough for him to be able to locate her because of her pain, she must be in unimaginable agony. I made calls yesterday while I was at the hospital. By this time next week, I should have all of her previous neurological exams, every note that has ever been made in reference to her migraines. _

_I know now that I will also need to schedule her for a new set of MRIs. I need to see what is happening in her brain and how much has changed since her last scan. I will do whatever I can to protect her, whatever is in my power. From this moment forth she is part of my family. She will have our protection, our love and our support. I will do all that I can to ensure that she never again knows fear or the pain of abandonment._

Setting his pen down on the desk and pulling the dark blue silk ribbon between the pages, he closed his journal. Looking up from the leather bound volume as the sound of Emmett's Jeep silenced in the drive, he stood from the desk and smiled as he moved from the room. He kept his pace slow and easy, meeting his family members at the front door as they stepped into his home. There was no hesitation in his movements as he took Angela into his arms, greeting her with a hug and Carlisle smiled as he felt her arms wrap around his back when she buried her face in his chest. His daughter had come home.


	10. Before the Storm

Stepping up to the slightly open door of Angela's bedroom, Carlisle looked in and smiled softly at the sight of her sleeping in the bed. She had been with his family for almost a week now and he, as the rest of his family, found her presence to be soothing. He watched her shift slightly, heard the soft whimper and moved inside. He was quiet as he came to sit by her side, brushing the backs of his fingers down her cheek before leaning down and kissing her forehead.

Whispering to her softly, soothing her gently, he watched as she calmed. Her skin was warm, too warm and he frowned at the thought that she may have a fever. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, pain filling the brown depths and he shushed her gently when she grew concerned.

"It's alright, sweetheart," Carlisle told Angela as she stared up at him. "Are you in pain?" She nodded quietly and he smiled reassuringly. "Do you feel ill at all, you have a fever," he clarified at her look of confusion.

"It's the migraine medication," she said softly, unable to hide the wince of pain. "It's always given me a fever."

"The Treximet?" he asked and she shook her head.

"All of them," she said softly and he frowned.

"You didn't mention that before," he said with a curious tilt of his head.

"I thought it was normal," she said tiredly, her eyes shifting to look over his shoulder when Emmett stepped into the room. "Emmett?"

"Hey, Half Pint," Emmett greeted softly and moved to sit on her other side.

"What time is it?" Angela asked softly as Emmett settled beside her and silently wrapped his arm around her.

"Late," Carlisle said softly as he watched her curl against his son. "Go back to sleep, sweetheart," he told her softly and smoothed his hand down over her hair. "I'll bring in some morphine for you."

"You don't need to fuss," she said softly, an apology for waking him uttered at the end.

"It's not fussing," he told her gently and frowned at Emmett when his son began to growl softly. "What are you doing?" he asked Emmett too low for Angela to hear.

"It calms her," Edward said from the doorway. "The sound of us growling calms her. Jasper noticed it too the other night when he was with her in the backyard. He said that when she was telling him about the texts he started growling and she calmed almost instantly."

"She's asleep," Emmett said a moment later and looked down on the girl tucked against his side. "The things that marks us as being different or dangerous, those are the things that bring her the most comfort."

Nodding once silently as he tugged the blankets up around her shoulders, Carlisle stood from the bed and moved to his office. He returned shortly with a pencil thin syringe. Sitting down on the side of her bed once more, he smiled softly when Emmett uncovered her arm, and injected the drug into Angela's arm. She didn't stir once, only sighed heavily and curled once more against Emmett when her arm was released.

He watched her sleep for a moment longer, noticing that anytime she stirred Emmett would growl and she would calm with a contented sigh. Standing from the bed, he made his way back downstairs and into his office, disposing of the used syringe in the red and white sharps box in the cabinet. He had been worried about telling Angela, concerned that she may not be accepting of his family or be frightened by the truth. A smile curved his lips as he sat behind his desk and opened his journal. Lifting his fountain pen and shaking it gently before uncapping it, he brought the pen to the page and began to write.

_April 22, 2009_

_I do believe that tonight has assuaged any worry or doubt that I may have previously had in regards to revealing the truth of my family to Angela. She had seemed distracted for most of the day and I found myself concerned when she had disappeared upstairs only a few minutes after dinner without reappearing. It was Jasper who told me that she had been suffering a rather powerful migraine all day, one he was only barely able to keep under control for her. She is very careful in taking her medications, making certain that; if at all possible, no one sees her taking it._

_The underlying reason for her behavior concerned me but when I approached Edward, he had no answer to offer. He told me that either the behavior has become so ingrained that she no longer remembers the reason for it, or that the memories are ones in which she actively chooses not to think about. That bit of information only fueled my desire to protect her, reaffirming the troubling suspicion that she has been mistreated for her migraines. _

_When I went up to her room to check on her, I found her to be almost sleeping. Esme was with her; I could hear my wife's gentle voice through the door as she quietly encouraged Angela and helped her into a more comfortable change of clothes. Her concern was evident when I stepped into the room a moment later, her observation that Angela seemed to have very little muscle control worrying her. Esme wasn't certain if it was due to Angela's exhaustion or her migraine, but whatever the reason, my passionate and loving wife had become a protective mother bear. If there is one truth I have learned about my wife in all our years together, it is this: never get between her and one of her children. She will fight to the death to protect them._

_I received a call this afternoon from Julia down in the records room. All of the medical files that I requested concerning Angela have come in and are waiting for me. I will be gathering them tomorrow and reviewing them here at home. I had originally planned to work this weekend, but on my last shift I was informed that I have almost two months of vacation time and I either need to use it or lose it. I have no need to take it all right away and have only opted to use three days of that leave right now. It will be nice to spend a bit of quality time with Angela. I look forward to getting to know her better._

Closing his personal journal and opening the drawer to his left, Carlisle removed the journal he had set aside specifically for Angela. Opening it to a clear page, he frowned and lifted his pen.

_Medical Journal of Angela Webber – April 22, 2009_

_Angela has been in my home with my family for only six days. In that time, Jasper has informed me that she has been in varying degrees of pain. He has told me that she has not had one migraine a day, or suffered only a headache… No, Jasper has told me what Angela won't. She is in constant pain. There is no relief from it, instead she has had moments when it isn't so bad and others where it's bad enough that she can't focus enough to speak. Throughout all of it though, she refuses to give voice to her pain at least any that humans would be able to hear._

_My family and I, save Bella, are able to hear the soft whimpers she does her level best to hide. It troubles me to note that I have seen her look around rooms and walk slowly into places that she has become familiar with almost as though she is having trouble seeing. She hasn't said anything about her migraines causing vision problems, nor has Edward mentioned anything to me about the matter, but I have my suspicions. _

_I found out this evening, only a few moments ago, that Angela's migraine medications bring on a fever. From what she said, they have all done this. While a slight raise in temperature – ninety-nine to one hundred degrees would be in the acceptable limits, I am quite certain that her temperature was nearing at least one hundred-two degrees. I did not physically take her temperature, but I have been a doctor long enough to know the accuracy of my estimation. For her temperature to be this high it would mean that there is some common element in each of the medications that her system is rejecting, something that she may have a sensitivity or allergy to. _

_Tonight was the third time this week that I've found her in pain while she's slept. If it wasn't before, it is clear to me now that her Treximet – the most recent of her medications – is completely ineffectual at relieving her pain. She hasn't been eating much either. I do not know if her seeming absence of an appetite is due to her migraines, the medications, or if she is naturally a light eater. She is underweight that much is clear. A few nights ago she was dressed in a borrowed set of sleeping clothes from Rosalie, the tank top and shorts revealing her slender build. If I had to guess, I would say she is at least twenty pounds under what her weight should be, possibly more. _

"Carlisle?"

Looking up from his journal at the sound of Esme's voice, he smiled and offered his wife his hand. She gave a soft smile, her expression of love tinted with worry as she stepped close enough to kiss him.

"Did you read to Angela the other night?" Esme asked as she stood beside his chair and played with the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Two nights ago, yes," he answered with a slow nod. "Why?"

"Edward said that her dreams are broken up by her memories of your voice. He thinks she wants you to read to her."

Smiling and standing from his chair, Carlisle kissed Esme slowly. "And so I shall."


	11. Her Collapse

_Medical Journal of Angela Webber April 23, 2009_

_I have never felt such rage in my life. When I gathered the medical files this morning from Julia down in the records room, I found a note in one of them that had been written by one of Angela's parents. There is no longer a question in my mind of whether or not she has been abused. That letter was enough answer of that. The only question I have now is: to what extent she has suffered. I am sitting here next to her bed as I write this, waiting and praying for her to wake up. _

_She was out with Bella today, a simple walk in the woods. When I arrived home from the hospital I received a frantic call from Bella. Angela had collapsed. Bella said that there had been no warning, Angela hadn't made any signs or sounds of being in pain, one moment they were talking and the next she was unconscious on the ground. Edward and Emmett brought her home less than half an hour ago and Angela has yet to stir. _

_Her migraine was so powerful that it rendered her unconscious and caused blood vessels in her tear ducts to rupture. Even now as she lies still in her bed, red tinted tears are slipping from her eyes. She looks as though she is crying blood. Esme is beside herself, unable to do anything but sit next to her and pet her hair and touch her cheek. She has been constantly wiping away the tears from Angela's face, fussing over her as only a mother can. Although she is unconscious, Angela has been whimpering in pain. I have given her morphine, more than I should have, but nothing is helping. The problem with the morphine is that it cannot specifically target her migraine. It can bring her pain down, yes, but at this point I would need to set up a drip and I don't have the equipment here to do that. _

"She's not waking up," Esme said fearfully and turned her eyes on Carlisle. "Why isn't she waking up?"

"The medicine isn't powerful enough to break through her pain," he told her and reached out, tucking his wife's hair behind her ear and brushing her cheek.

"Alice and Jasper are on their way home now," Rosalie said as she looked up from her cell phone. "Do you really think he'll be able to help her?" she asked as she leaned against Emmett's side, tucked under his arm.

"I don't know," Carlisle told them and glanced at Bella. "Sweetheart, there wasn't anything you could have done," he said in response to the girl's stricken expression. "Even had I been with her when this happened, there isn't anything I could've done either."

"I just don't understand how she can be in so much pain," Bella said as she stared at her friend. "You hear people talk about migraines, but never like this."

"She'll be alright," Edward soothed her softly and kissed Bella's temple.

_She is trapped. My daughter is trapped inside her pain and the more I listen to the unsteady beat of her heart and the pain filled sounds coming from her, the more I find myself thinking of my family when each of them went through the change. To think that the pain Angela is in now is reminding me of the transformation makes me more certain than ever that it is the right time to tell her about my family, to give her the choice. She's called a few times now for her father – _

"No," Edward said and Carlisle looked up at him. "Not her father. When she says 'Papa' it's your face in her mind, not his. She's calling for you."

"Me?" Carlisle asked and set his journal aside as he moved to sit next to Angela. "I'm right here, sweetheart," he said to Angela, smoothing his hand over her hair. "I'm right here."

"You've read to her, Carlisle," Esme said as she looked at her husband. "You've cared for her, treated her migraines and have even talked with her once about what her future interests are. Those are all things a father would – should – do."

"I doubt she'll say it consciously," Edward said, smiling softly at the tender note of Carlisle's thoughts. "But she has started to think of you that way."

Smiling softly as he bent down over her, Carlisle kissed Angela's forehead. He had already come to think of her as his daughter before Alice brought her home. To be told that in just six days, she had come to see him in a similar light only endeared him further.

**:::::**

_April 24, 2009_

_It took her four hours to wake up. Four hours. It took Jasper nearly an hour to be able to adjust to her pain, to wrap his talent around it and put up walls to block it from Angela enough to let her wake. As much as I was reluctant to, I had no choice but to give her the Treximet. It was the only medicine that had any hope of reaching her migraine. I told her about my family then, about all of us. Whatever she thought in the beginning of the tale made Edward laugh, I've never seen him so amused, though he shook his head when I asked for an answer. _

_I think what surprised me most is that she wasn't fearful or questioning of our sanity. She didn't call us crazy or try and run from the room. In fact, Edward stared at her with awe as though she had granted him some heavenly view he had never held before. She is sleeping now, her head pillowed on Esme's thigh and as much as I know she would wish to make Angela comfortable, my wife won't move her. I'm sitting with them, Angela sleeping between us on the bed. I have never seen such a look of complete peace on Esme's face before. _

_Seconds before Angela fell asleep, just as her eyes were beginning to close, she spoke of her wish for Esme to be her mother. If it weren't for the fact that our immortal bodies are incapable of producing tears, I know that Esme would be crying. As it is, my wife has not lifted her eyes from Angela's sleeping face once. Jasper is still sitting in the room, occupying the chair by the bookcase with Alice seated in his lap. I had thought at first that he was remaining to control Angela's pain. It was Edward who said that Angela's emotions were holding Jasper captive. _

_Every now and then Angela will stir in her sleep, whether it is due to her migraine or her dreams, I do not know. Esme will stroke her cheek, touch her hair, whisper to her or even on occasion growl as Emmett has and Angela will calm almost immediately. It still amazes me that she had no questions, no concerns about us being more than human. After she fell asleep, moments after Bella had left to see her father; Edward told us that Angela doesn't see us as monsters. No, he told us that my precious daughter sees us as angels. What she doesn't realize is that she is our angel. Her very presence is like a light shining from heaven upon us all. _

_There is a warmth that we have each felt, a soothing burn as though we swallowed the sun. I had forgotten what it felt like to be warm, to feel comforted in that manner, but being near Angela…I feel warmed from the inside out as though my heart is glowing. Esme told me that she has felt the same way, our other children confirming this same sensation. It is as though you are constantly wrapped in a warm and safe embrace. It is as though nothing bad could ever happen. _


	12. The Attack

_April 27, 2009_

_My long weekend has ended and I return to work today. Unlike my human colleagues, I do not need the time to rest, however most of my weekend has been spent in a relaxed state of immobility. Angela was finally granted freedom from most of her pain midday two days ago, though her exhaustion remained. I had no problem with staying next to her, holding while she slept. That was, of course, the moments when Emmett was not holding her. My son is very protective of her and I cannot say that I do not feel the same. _

"Carlisle." He looked up from his journal as Alice stepped into the open doorway. "Edward, Rosalie and I are about to leave for a hunt. Angela is going to wake up soon," she told him with a smile. "Esme's with her."

Nodding quietly, he closed his journal and set the pen on his desk. Lifting the medical journal he had been keeping for Angela, he tucked it inside his briefcase. Standing slowly, he carried his briefcase to the front door and set it down on the bench seat that was just inside the glass doors. Turning around slowly and breathing in deeply, a smile pulled at his lips, the comfort he felt at hearing Angela's heartbeat unmatched.

He moved swiftly, no thought to keeping his pace at a slower human speed, and was by Angela's bedside within seconds. Esme grinned at him, amused at the look on her husband's face, the light in his eyes. Smiling in return, he sat down next to Angela on the bed and brushed the backs of his fingers down Angela's sleep warmed cheek.

"Good morning, sweetheart," he greeted when her eyes fluttered open.

"What time is it?" she asked softly, breathing in deeply as her eyes closed once more.

"Just after eleven," Carlisle told her softly.

"That late?" Angela asked and began to sit up.

"Shh," Carlisle soothed her and bid to rest against the pillow. "Rise if you want to, but not because you think anyone expects you to. The migraine you experienced was powerful and if you are still tired then you should rest."

"Are you going somewhere?" she asked as she took notice of his clothes.

"I have a shift at the hospital today," he told her and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I'm going to see if I can find a better medicine to treat your migraines with."

"Is it hard for you?" Angela asked softly and he tipped his head in question. "The blood."

"No," he grinned and touched her cheek. "Several years of experience. Rest now, sweetheart. I'll be home before you know it."

**:::::**

_Medical Journal of Angela Weber April 27, 2009_

_It has been a fairly slow day at the hospital, nothing much to note. I am grateful for this as it has given me ample time to research the various migraine medicines available on the market today. After reviewing Angela's medical history and all of the medications she had previously been prescribed, I believe that I may have found one that will aid her where the others have not. This new medicine is called Toradol and only within the last year or so has it been available. _

_This medicine passed through FDA trials with remarkable results and few side effects compared to its counterparts. It is my hope that it will be able to relieve her pain and possibly grant her more days where she is in little to no pain. Emmett came by my office a few moments ago and I sent the new prescription home with him. Angela had talked once yesterday about returning to her home, from what my son has said she is still insistent upon doing so today. I am concerned about her doing so, not because we have revealed ourselves to her, but because she would be alone._

_Her migraines concern me greatly. For her to have passed out as she did is very telling. Jasper was brought to his knees by the force of her pain that evening once he had returned. Alice's eyes were still black, she had not hunted, but had made certain he did. I watched as his eyes turned from the brilliant gold of freshly fed to a coal black when he opened his talent to her pain. I have never seen him rendered so powerless before. He couldn't speak, couldn't even stand on his own. To think that Angela could suffer another migraine like that while on her own frightens me. I do not wish to see her in such pain. _

_The news of her stalker is still heavy in my mind. The thought that someone is hunting her is unsettling. The knowledge of not knowing who or why only makes it more difficult for me to concentrate on my work. My family has been in danger before and while that has made me unsteady in the past, it has never had quite this effect on me before. I am not one normally driven to physical defense. I will fight if there is no other choice, but violence has always been my very last resort. In Angela's case though, I refuse to allow anyone to harm or threaten her. My feelings are such that not even violence seems as abhorrent to me. _

_Emmett has promised to keep guard over her. To make certain that she is safe even while he allows her time alone. Something Jasper told Esme is still heavy in mind and I find the truth of it unsettling. She asked our son about Angela, about how she is doing. The insight he gained from her emotions tells us that she has never before known the love and support of family. She is afraid that we will leave her or somehow disappear. She is my daughter and she will never be alone again. _

**:::::**

_April 28, 2009_

_I have never felt so unsettled in all my years. I am still upset even though it has been hours since the incident. Angela was attacked in her home tonight. She called Emmett and I caught sight of him racing through the woods toward her house on my way home from the hospital. We arrived within seconds of each other. Emmett captured the intruder easily, his control paramount. I could tell that my son wanted to crush the man beneath his grip, but he was careful to leave not even a bruise. I found Angela tucked in the corner of the kitchen pantry. _

_I could smell her fear; I could feel her fear as cold and powerful as a storm. I could feel it before I even entered the house. It was like some great beast clawing at me and drawing me closer. When I first felt it I was still in my car and tried to fight the feeling but it only grew stronger. When I gave into the feeling, pushed into it, I could feel myself being drawn toward something – someone. To understand that the feeling was Angela's that it was her cry I was hearing… Had I not been the one to gather her, to hold her in my arms, I fear what actions I may have taken. Had she been physically harmed, I don't know what I would have done._

_She would not relinquish her hold on me and for that I am grateful. I needed to hold her, to know that she was safe. The sound of her sobs, the feel of her trembling, the scent of her tears…I have never felt so wanting of violence in my life. She was falling asleep with every moment that passed and when I carried her up to her room and sat down with her in my lap, she tightened her hold as though she feared I would push her away. I tightened my arms in response, kissed her brow and touched her hair. She began to calm then, little by little. _

_I reminded her of Emmett's presence and when she looked to him and called his name he moved to her with full vampire speed. He didn't hold back. I could see him clearly, but Angela couldn't. To her it must have looked as though he simply disappeared and reappeared. She didn't jump; she didn't react with fear or surprise. In fact, the one who was surprised was me. When he proved his vampire nature to her, she calmed, I could feel her relax in my arms. It is as Edward told me – those things that mark us as being monsters are the same things that bring her comfort. _

_She fell asleep almost the moment I tucked into the car and secured her safety belt. I didn't think about what I was doing when I sat next to her – I growled. She calmed enough to sleep. She is not frightened of us in the least, not that I would want her to be. I asked Emmett to gather her phone so that I could call her parents and let them know what happened. I nearly lost my temper then. The number in her phone marked for emergencies is for a travel agency based out of New England. Her parents aren't even in the same country that she is. Had it not been for first Emmett, and then the rest of my family becoming attached and taking her in, she could very easily have been raped or killed. They abandoned her and left her in danger. _

_I will care for her and I will protect, but they have much to answer for. _


	13. 6(point)5 - The Missing Chapter

6.5

The Lost Chapter from Roses in Winter

Standing by the window with one hand over his forehead, his thumb and middle finger gripping his temples, and his other hand holding his phone to his ear, he waited for his call to be answered. The trilling song of the digital ringtone sounded for a fourth time and he felt the growl building in his chest before it rumbled from his throat. Turning away from the window and walking back across the kitchen he let his hand fall from his brow as an automated messaging service answered his call.

"This is Dr. Carlisle Cullen calling for Reverend and Mrs. Weber in regards to their daughter Angela. They are from Forks, Washington. Please have them call as soon as possible. Thank you."

Closing his eyes as he lowered his cell phone and tapped on the end call button, he tucked the device into his pants pocket. Torn between his feelings of frustration, worry and the anger borne of Angela's attack, he didn't know which was worse. It was the third message he had left for someone to call him back since he had brought Angela home last night and he still had yet to get any response. Sighing and turning around, he came face to face with Esme, her expression both worried and tense.

"No response?" she asked as she stepped easily into the circle of his arms.

"No," Carlisle sighed as he wrapped her in his embrace and smoothed his hand over her hair. "How is she?"

"Still sleeping," she said and chuckled softly, "still tucked between Emmett and Jasper. I don't think they're going to let her out of their sight for a single moment once she wakes."

"I wouldn't either," he admitted softly and sighed as he stepped away from her slowly. "Chief Swan called a few hours ago. I'll need to take Angela into the station as soon as she's awake. He needs a formal statement about what happened to her."

"It's almost noon," Esme noted as she turned to look at the clock on the microwave. "Carlisle…"

"I know," he said softly, his tone heavy. "She won't be returning there."

"If she wants to?" Esme asked and watched as he turned back to look at her over his shoulder.

"I very much doubt that she will," Carlisle said. "Edward is still with Bella?" he asked, turning completely around to give her his full attention.

"Mmhmm," Esme nodded as she opened the fridge. "Before he left this morning, he said that he wanted to prepare her, to tell her what all had happened. He hadn't fed yet," she said as she brought items from the fridge to the island counter. "Or at least not enough. Rosalie and Alice will be returning later this evening, but he came home as soon as he saw Alice's vision."

Turning his attention in the direction of Angela's bedroom upstairs, Carlisle listened as her heartbeat began to gain speed. She was waking slowly and he hoped that she would wake peacefully. Three times since she had fallen asleep between her brothers, her nightmares had caused her to wake. Each time the low rumbles from Jasper and Emmett would calm her back into the peaceful oblivion of sleep. He had listened as his both of his sons had spoken softly to her, promising her that she was safe and assuring her that they would allow no harm to come to her.

Moving out of the room and gliding across the house to reach the stairs, Carlisle had little doubt that Angela would still be exhausted once she woke. They hadn't been able to bring her home until just after four and it was nearing five before she was finally able to fall asleep once more. She had woken the first time around eight, then again around nine and it hadn't been until nine thirty that she had returned to sleep, curled against Emmett and sprawled across his chest with Jasper tucked snugly against her. She had startled a final time near ten-thirty, but Emmett had growled softly to soothe her back to sleep and hadn't stopped since. The sound he made, one that had only been issued in sparring matches or as a warning to other combatants beforehand, had become a lullaby to Angela.

Stepping into the open door of her room, Carlisle looked down on the bed and watched as Angela's hand flexed where it rested on Emmett's chest, her fingers curling and fisting around his shirt. He watched her ribs expand as her lungs filled with air, the light dusting of hair on her arms raising as goose bumps danced across her skin. Emmett bent his head forward, kissing her hair as she sighed softly. Jasper rubbed her back, soothing her gently with his touch and talent as she made the gradual climb to the waking world. They would protect her from all they could, including her dreams.

"Em't," Angela moaned softly, her voice weak and exhausted as her eyes fluttered open.

"I'm right here, half pint," Emmett soothed her, petting her hair and wrapping his other hand around hers. "So is Jasper."

"J'sper."

"Right behind you, darlin'," Jasper said as he rubbed her back. "We've stayed here with you all night."

"What time is it?" she mumbled, slipping her hand from Emmett's to rub her eyes.

"Almost twelve-thirty," Carlisle answered and stepped up to the bedside. "How do you feel, sweetheart?"

"Tired," Angela answered after a long moment. "But I don't want to sleep anymore."

"Esme's making food for you," he told her, watching as she sat up slowly. "We'll need to go down to the station today and speak with Chief Swan. He needs your statement about what happened last night."

Angela looked up, her dark eyes meeting Carlisle's as her heartbeat began to pick up speed. It was quite understandable that she would still be frightened and he hated that she would have to relive the ordeal in order to provide her statement. He watched her clench her jaw, her eyes closing as she did her best to fight back her fear. It wasn't the first time he had seen her do her best to hide her emotions and it upset him that she seemed to think she had to. Moving to stand at the foot of her bed, Carlisle held out his hand and smiled reassuringly.

Breathing in deeply as she placed her hand in his, Angela let Carlisle help her up from the bed. Her eyes were only half open, the exhaustion and fear clouding her mind bringing on the edges of a migraine. Looking over her shoulder and seeing Jasper's slight flinch, Carlisle drew Angela into his arms as soon as she was standing. He bowed his head over her, his lips pressed against her hair and smiled softly when he felt her arms wrap around his back to fist in his shirt. Smoothing his hand down over her hair, he knew the moment her eyes closed and she returned to a light slumber in his arms. Chuckling softly, he continued to hold her, content to hold her as long as she would let him.

"Is she awake?" Esme asked as she appeared in the hall outside the room.

"She was," Emmett grinned as Esme stepped into the room.

Esme smiled as she stepped around Carlisle and cast her gaze upon Angela. The girl's face was mostly hidden against her husband's chest and the dark curtain of her hair. Lifting her hand to her face, Esme slipped her fingers against Angela's cheek, tucking her hair behind her ear. The girl's eyes were closed, soft colored circles under her eyes denoting her difficulty sleeping. Brushing the backs of her bent fingers against Angela's cheek, Esme frowned and turned her gaze up to Carlisle.

"She's warm," Esme said with worry.

Carlisle nodded. "I expect she will be until she's fully awake and has had a chance to move around some." Turning his attention down to Angela, he rubbed her back gently. "Sweetheart," he called to her, waiting a moment before saying her name to rouse her. "Why don't you let Esme help you get ready, ok? We'll go see Charlie once you've eaten something."

Nodding quietly and mumbling softly her agreement, Angela looked up when Carlisle framed her face with his hands and chafed his thumbs over her cheeks. Promising her that it would be alright and that she was safe, he kissed her forehead. Nodding to Esme as his hands fell to her shoulders, he gave Angela one last hug before letting her slip from his embrace to follow his wife. He watched them leave the room, a frown furrowing his brow as he turned his attention back to Jasper and Emmett. He watched as they made the bed, smoothing out the soft wrinkles and turned back to the door when Esme stepped inside the room.

"She's taking a shower," Esme said seconds before the water turned on. "Her clothes from last night," she said handing the neatly folded pile to Carlisle. "I know that any evidence on them will most likely be compromised, but it's better than nothing."

"Thank you, Charlie will want these, I'm sure," Carlisle said as he took the clothes and carried them downstairs.

**:::::**

Angela took in a shaking breath as she stood underneath the steady spray of the shower. The water was hot enough to leave red blotches on her skin, but still it didn't feel quite hot enough. Each time she closed her eyes she was back in her bedroom with the man lying on top of her, touching her and kissing her. She couldn't make the ghost of him leave her, still able to feel his hands on her skin under her shirt. The shampoo bottle fell from her hand, thumping against the bottom of the tub loudly to roll against her bare feet. She knew she was shaking, knew that the water raining down on her was hot, but all she felt was cold.

She could hear someone calling out her name through the door, asking gently if she was alright, but she couldn't move – couldn't speak. The door opened, Esme's voice sounding closer as the door was closed behind her. A shadow fell over the shower curtain, but even as she tried to answer, Angela found her voice to be missing completely. Esme's voice sounded again, but she couldn't understand the words and seconds later the curtain was moved gently aside as the water was turned off.

"Oh, sweetheart," Esme cooed as she gathered an overly large towel and wrapped it around Angela's trembling frame. "Shh, you're safe now. We won't let anything harm you."

Moving over to the closed toilet and sitting down, she moved Angela to sit in her lap, the teen taller than her but wrapped in her arms all the same. Esme rubbed her back, speaking softly to her as she tried to encourage a response from the girl. Looking up at the soft knock on the door, she bid her husband entrance and met his gaze when he knelt next to them. Carlisle frowned, sighing silently as he lifted his hand to smooth the girl's dripping hair away from her face. He had been worried about this happening, but when she had been able to sleep after he had brought her home he thought the threat to have passed.

"She isn't talking and she was shivering even under the hot shower," Esme said with concern as she tightened her arms around Angela until the girl had her head resting on her shoulder.

"She's in shock," Carlisle said softly as he looked up into Angela's pale face. "I thought with her being able to sleep last night that the threat of it had passed. We need to keep her warm and secure. I'll get a blanket."

"N-o," Angela trembling voice sounded with difficulty. "I'm alright," she struggled to get the words out, her voice ragged.

"No you're not, sweetheart," Carlisle disagreed gently.

Esme looked at Carlisle, silencing his next words with a soft look that asked to be allowed to try with Angela. Nodding quietly as he rested his hand on Angela's towel-covered back, he watched her sit up slightly, her chin trembling as she fought not to cry.

"What do you want, honey?" Esme asked of her soothingly, touching her cheek to draw Angela's eyes to her. "What do you want to do?"

"I…" Angela struggled with the words, her throat feeling dry and constricted. "I want to finish my shower."

"Are you sure?" Esme asked with a slow tilt of her head.

"Yeah," Angela spoke quietly as her eyes fell from Esme's gaze.

"Ok," Esme kissed her forehead and helped her to stand. "We'll be here if you need us, all you have to do is ask."

Angela nodded silently, leaning against Carlisle's chest when he drew her close for a hug and took comfort from his quiet strength. Petting his hand down over her wet hair, he held her tightly for a brief moment as he promised to allow nothing to harm her. Kissing the top of her head as Esme turned the shower on once more and set the shampoo bottle on the small shelf, Carlisle found himself torn between leaving Angela alone and the maddening need he felt to protect her. It was Esme's soft touch on his arm that made him nod, a deep breath escaping through his nose as he loosed his arms from around Angela and stepped back. They both exited the bathroom a half moment later, his hand around the brass knob pulling the door closed behind them.

"I don't like the idea of leaving her alone when she is this upset," Carlisle told Esme as they moved down the hall and to the stairs.

"Neither do I, but we have to let her tell us what she needs," Esme said as they made their slow descent to the floor below. "With all that has happened and what Jasper's read from her over this past week that she's been with our family, she needs our support yes, but she also needs to feel in control."

Carlisle's breath rolled slightly as he took it in and he nodded as he followed Esme into the kitchen. He knew that she was right, knew that they had to give Angela the space she needed to feel secure without feeling alone. Even though he knew these things, he still wanted to protect her, guard her as closely as she would let him. Looking up from the counter in front of him and meeting his wife's gaze, he smiled softly and opened his arms as she stepped close to him.

"She'll be alright," Esme assured Carlisle as she looked up into his eyes. "She's strong and she has us, we will keep her safe."

"Wise and beautiful," Carlisle praised with a grin as he lowered his head to capture her lips. "You always know how to steady me."

"After ninety years, I should," Esme chuckled and looked back over his shoulder. "Hey, sweetheart," she greeted Angela as she stepped around Carlisle. "I prepared a few different things, I wasn't sure if you would want something light or not," she said as she wrapped her arm around Angela's shoulders and guided her to the bar stool in front of the island counter.

"You didn't have to fuss," Angela said softly as a blush dusted her cheeks.

"Not fussing," Esme grinned and kissed her temple. "It's mothering. Now, I've got a fruit salad with Blackberry yoghurt, kiwi and pineapple," she said and smiled when she saw the look on Angela's face. "Yes, I have noticed you favor them. I also have batter ready for waffles and I have what is needed to make quiche. You tell me what you're hungry for."

"Oh, um…" Angela thought over the possibilities quietly.

"Angela," Esme placed her hand over hers where it rested on the counter.

"Hmm?" Angela looked up at her with wide eyes and Esme could see the worry in her dark depths.

"It's whatever you want, sweetie, whether that means the quiche or cold cereal. You tell me what you want," Esme told her with a soft motherly smile.

"The fruit and yoghurt, please," Angela asked and Esme's smile brightened.

"Coming right up," Esme said brightly as she turned toward the fridge. "Would you like any honey roasted walnuts?"

"Did you go to the store just for breakfast?" Angela asked, unable to hide the worry in her voice.

"No, I made them yesterday after you and Emmett left," Esme said as she brought a clear glass bowl from the fridge.

The bottom third of the bowl was filled with blackberry yoghurt, cut pieces of kiwi, pineapple, Asian pears and topped with blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries. Setting the bowl in front of Angela, Esme topped the fruit with a sprinkling of the honey roasted walnuts. Handing Angela a spoon from the drawer next to her, Esme smiled and nodded toward the bowl before turning back to the fridge. Seconds later a glass of orange juice was set next to the bowl.

"Eat up," Esme told her as she moved around the island, kissing Angela's hair as she passed by her. "Come on," she said to Carlisle too soft for Angela to hear. "Let her eat in peace."

"I wasn't going to disturb her," Carlisle told her just as quietly as he let Esme lead her out of the kitchen.

"You were hovering," Esme told him with a teasing grin. "Do you have everything we'll need for her interview with Charlie?"

"Yes," Carlisle nodded slowly. "Her clothes from last night. She didn't have any bruising that I could see, but they may still want a medical examination done."

"And if they do?" Esme asked with a frown.

"I wouldn't be the one performing it. I'm too close to the situation, but Nurse Marks would be able to perform it without a problem. They don't need a doctor just a medical professional."

"A doctor for what?" Angela asked as she slipped into the room. "Are we going to the hospital?"

"Sweetheart," Carlisle stood from his seat on the couch and stepped around the furniture. "Come sit with us, Esme and I need to talk to you, to prepare you for this afternoon."

"Ok," Angela said slowly and walked toward him, placing her hand in his when he held it out to her. "Aren't we going to talk to Chief Swan?"

"Yes, we are," Esme answered her as Carlisle led her to the couch and bid her to sit down between them. "But that may not be the only thing we do," she said as Carlisle took his seat and rubbed the back of Angela's hand.

"What do you mean?" Angela asked, biting her lip as she looked between them, her gaze settling on Carlisle.

"Well," Carlisle looked at Esme before meeting Angela's gaze and continuing. "Sweetheart, you were attacked," he reminded her, rubbing her hand to soothe her when she nodded shakily. "Charlie may need more than just your statement, he may ask for a medical examination."

"Why?" she asked softly.

"To check for bruising or abrasions, any physical mark that may have been left from your attack," he told her gently.

"I don't want," Angela closed her eyes and clenched her jaw as she fought away her fear. "Could…" she turned her attention on Esme, "could you be with me?"

"If they want an examination, I'll be right there beside you," Esme promised her gently. "We will keep you safe, honey. We won't let anything happen to you."

Leaning into Esme's embrace when the woman opened her arms to her, Angela wrapped her arms around her and took the comfort she was freely offered. Rubbing her back as she looked over Angela's shoulder to Carlisle, Esme met her husband's gaze as she held the girl she considered to be her daughter. Their honey-toned eyes met and held, the promise shared between them forged in steel made of love. Angela was one of theirs now and they would allow nothing to harm her or threaten her again.

"Are you ready to go?" Carlisle asked as Angela sat up, the embrace she shared with Esme breaking.

Angela nodded quietly, her lips curling up slightly at the corners when Esme and Carlisle each held one of her hands. They stood up together, moving slowly away from the couch as they walked toward the door. Looking to the side when Emmett and Jasper appeared in the front hall of the house, Angela smiled and looked at both Carlisle and Esme in turn before moving away from them. Stepping up to the two vampires who had held her throughout the night, she smiled and took comfort as they each embraced her.

"We'll be here when you come home," Jasper promised her, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"We'll do whatever you want, half pint," Emmett promised her and kissed her forehead.

"You'll tell me more about Tennessee?" she asked and he chuckled softly.

"You bet I will," he chuckled and nodded over her shoulder. "Go on."

**:::::**

Angela bit her lip as the car slowed down and turned to the right. Closing her eyes as Carlisle pulled into a parking space near the front door, she took in a series of deep breaths, doing her best to tell herself that she had nothing to be afraid of. He hadn't truly hurt her. She hadn't been injured or harmed. He hadn't been able to do more than frighten her. Jumping slightly when her car door opened, she turned wide eyes on Carlisle and nodded once before unbuckling her seatbelt. Slipping her hand into his, she let him help her from the car and stood next to him on slightly unsteady legs.

"It'll be alright, sweetheart," Carlisle said as he wrapped Angela in his arms and petted her hair.

Her arms wrapped around his back as Esme came up to them and touched her shoulder. Turning her head to rest her cheek against Carlisle's shoulder, Angela met Esme's gaze and returned the soft smile she was offered. Leaning closer and kissing Angela's cheek, Esme stepped back as Carlisle loosed his arms from around the human girl and took her hand. Offering her a soothing word of comfort as he led them up the short staircase, Carlisle held open the station door and watched as Esme entered first keeping Angela between them.

"Hello, Deputy Carson," Carlisle greeted the young man as they entered the station.

"Doctor Cullen, Esme," he nodded to them in turn. "Angela, if you'll come with me, Chief Swan will be with you in just a moment."

"Oh, ok," Angela nodded and stepped away from her place between Carlisle and Esme as she followed the uniformed man through the station. "Where are we going?" she asked the officer, staying almost an arm's length behind him.

"Just down the hall to one of the interview rooms," he told her and offered her a comforting smile. "He thought you might be more comfortable back here than at his desk," he explained and motioned with his arm for her to enter the open room. "Take a seat; he'll be with you in just a few moments."

Angela nodded quietly, biting her lip as she moved to the table and sat down. She had seen enough crime dramas to know that it was an interrogation room. The 'interview' part was to make it seem less threatening, but still she was frightened. She didn't want to be alone here, but didn't want to be weak either. She could do this, she told herself, taking in a deep breath and releasing it slowly.

"Hey there Angela," Charlie greeted her as he stepped inside the room, frowning when she jumped. "Would you like a drink before we get started?"

"Um," Angela looked down and Charlie frowned at how nervous she seemed to be. "Water?" she asked and he nodded before stepping out into the hall.

Walking back through the station, Charlie made his way back to his office and took a bottle of water from the small dorm room fridge he kept there. Walking toward the lobby, he stepped through to the waiting area and looked at Carlisle and Esme, nodding once they met his gaze.

"Is everything alright, Chief?" Carlisle asked as he stood, Esme standing with him at his side.

"If you both could come back with me," Charlie said as he held open the waist-high, swinging wooden door. "I don't think Angela knows that she can ask for you," he told Carlisle as the man slipped past him.

Nodding quietly as he led Esme with a guiding hand in the small of her back, they followed Charlie down the hall to the interview room that Angela was sitting in. Motioning for the couple to enter ahead of him, Charlie stepped into the room and handed Angela the chilled bottle of water. Looking up with a slightly startled expression, the human girl visibly calmed when Esme and Carlisle moved chairs to sit on either side of her.

"Hello, sweetheart," Carlisle greeted her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders in a brief side hug.

"We're right here with you," Esme assured her, rubbing Angela's back as Carlisle lowered his arm from around her shoulders.

"You can be here?" Angela asked with a shaking voice, her words little more than a whisper.

"Yes," Esme smiled and took her hand. "Sweetheart, you've done nothing wrong, this isn't an interrogation. He just needs to know what happened."

Carlisle looked down when he felt her fingers tighten their hold on his hand and rubbed the back of her hand to comfort her. He felt her flinch, her nervousness only increasing when Charlie asked her for a detailed account of what had happened the night before. Her grip tightened, her hand trembling in his as she fought for control over her rising fear. Opening her mouth to speak, she found her voice to be missing, her throat dry and constricted.

"The doors were locked before I went to sleep, I know they were," she said, her voice soft and trembling. "Emmett, he…he checked around the…the house."

Angela stopped speaking, her breathing becoming shallow and ragged as she fought for control over her fear. Nothing happened, she reminded herself, nothing had truly happened. _You were only scared_, she told herself, berating herself for her fear. Biting her tongue until she had control of her emotions, a slight taste of copper filled her mouth and she knew that she bitten down hard enough to make her tongue bleed. Tightening her grip on the hands she held, she met Charlie's gaze once more.

"He was…on top of me…I…I woke up and he was…"

"Take your time, Angela," Charlie told her gently. "I know this can't be easy. We can stop if you need to."

She shook her head, not wanting to stop only wanting the interview to be over as soon as possible. It wasn't easy for her to speak; each word seemed to be a fight to get out. She couldn't let go of Carlisle's hand long enough to open her bottle of water, but as soon as he realized what she wanted, the blond doctor broke the plastic seal easily with a twist of his fingers. Handing her the opened bottle and watching as Esme helped to steady her hand, he hated the terror he could see in her eyes. He could see the doubt and shame in her dark depths as well, knew that she was blaming herself for the attack and with what little he'd learned about her parents, he was certain she was cursing herself as well.

Esme rubbed Angela's back slowly as she spoke, twisting the cap back on the bottle of water when the girl was done with it. It took Angela almost two hours to give her statement, her fear rendering her silent more than once. Carlisle's grip on her hand was gentle and steady, but even still he knew that she would most likely develop bruising around the edges of her palm and fingers for how tight her grip on him was. She jumped when Charlie stood, trembled when he left the room and bit her tongue once more to fight back the tears stinging behind her tightly closed eyes.

"I just need you to read over that and sign it, Angela," Charlie said a few moments later when he set a typed sheet in front of her with a pen.

"Wh-what is it?" she stuttered.

"Your statement," Charlie answered her gently. "I just need you to make certain it's correct to your knowledge and let me know if there's anything missing that you need to add, ok?"

Giving a shaking nod, she turned her attention down to the paper in front of her and read the information. It was her words that had been typed, the play-by-play account of what had happened causing her to relive the event over again in her mind. She hated her fear, hated the thought that she would be asked to leave over what had happened. The Cullens had taken her in and been nothing but supportive to her, even still she knew that this was too much to ask of anyone. A stalker, a police investigation, she wasn't their daughter; they had no reason to want her to stay after this.

Her hand was shaking badly as she reached out for the pen and picked it up slowly. So certain was she that she would be asked to leave when they returned home that it was difficult for her to keep hold of the pen let alone sign her name. Her teeth were chattering though she was deaf to the noise, her muscles so tense with her frightened tremors that she ached from head to toe. Dropping the pen to the paper and jerking at the slight noise, she didn't hear Carlisle speak as he asked for them to have a moment in private.

Nodding quietly as he stood, Charlie stepped out of the room and closed the door silently behind him. Looking up to find them alone, Angela's breathing began to become shallow again, her heartbeat accelerating to a dangerous pace. This was it, she was certain that this was the moment they would ask her to leave and she couldn't blame them. All she had done was cause them trouble. Her eyes widened; her trembling increasing when Carlisle gently extracted his hand from her terrified grip. Closing her eyes, wishing for him to just say the words and get it over with, she was unprepared for the moment when he lifted her from her chair.

Her eyes snapped open when Carlisle moved her from the hard metal chair to sit in his lap, his arms wrapping around her as he whispered soothing bits of comfort to her. Her trembling increased, her arms moving of their own volition to wrap around his neck as the tears she had been fighting came in great sobs that ripped from her almost violently. He stroked her hair, rubbed her back and held her closer still as she cried in his arms. Turning his head, he kissed her hair before laying his cheek against her head.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Angela," Carlisle promised her softly, his voice firm and soothing. "You are part of our family; sweetheart and we will protect you to the very best of our ability. You will always have us to turn to, to protect you, to love you. We will keep you safe."

His words made her cry harder, tears born from years of neglect ricocheting through her with the force of a hurricane. No one had ever made her that promise before, no one had ever wanted to be her family and that they did made her even more terrified that she would lose them. She felt his hand cup the back of her head when her arms tightened around his shoulders, and found that she was unable to release him even when he stood from the chair.

"I'll drive," Esme said softly as she took the keys from her purse and moved to open the door. "Why don't you sit in back with her," she suggested.

Nodding his agreement, the expression on his face worried and grim, Carlisle followed Esme down the hall, carrying Angela in his arms and not caring one bit about who looked upon them. He didn't care what anyone thought at that moment, the only thing he knew was that his daughter needed him and he wasn't about to let her down. Offering a short nod of thanks when Deputy Carson held open the station door for them to pass through, Carlisle waited for Esme to unlock the car and open the back door. Slipping easily into the backseat with Angela still cradled in his arms, Carlisle held her all the way home, smiling sadly as he watched her fall asleep when Esme pulled into the garage.

Jasper stood watching from the living room window as Carlisle came up the walk carrying a sleeping Angela in his arms. A raging beast had been awakened, he thought as he studied the blond man's emotions. Moving to open the front door as his family came up to the house, he stood aside and watched as Carlisle carried her inside silently, Esme following behind him. They disappeared up the stairs moments later and Jasper knew that short of nuclear ammunitions, there was very little that would ever be able to come between that vampire and the daughter he held in his arms.

Each of them had come into Carlisle's life and family at the point of their death, each one human for only a very few moments after they had met the man. He and Alice had come into the family only fifty years ago, they being the only two Carlisle hadn't turned. It was different for Bella and even more so for Angela. They were Carlisle's human daughters and Angela…he knew that Angela had a deeper place in their hearts because Carlisle and Esme had truly become her parents. Whoever was after Angela, Jasper thought, had absolutely no idea what they had done by attacking her. Messing with one of Carlisle's children, whether it was himself, Alice or now Angela, was a bit like walking into Volterra to make a documentary on vampires – no way in hell would you make it out alive.

**:::::**

Angela stirred, mumbling softly without opening her eyes as Carlisle lowered her to her bed. Shushing her gently and kissing her forehead, he removed her shoes and stepped aside, facing away from her as Esme changed her into something more comfortable. Turning around once his wife announced that she was finished, he toed off his shoes and moved to lie down beside her. Angela curled instantly to him, tucking into his side and pillowing her head on his chest without ever opening her eyes.

Rubbing her back in slow soothing circles, Carlisle smiled at Esme when she laid a thick quilt over them both. Tucking the heavy cloth around Angela's shoulders, he gently freed her hair from under the blanket and kissed her head when she murmured in her sleep. Encouraging her to rest and promising not to leave her, Carlisle held her while she slept. She relaxed slowly, the last of the tension leaving her muscles with a soft sigh as she sank deeper into her slumber.

"You will never be alone again," Carlisle promised the sleeping girl softly, his voice resolute. "You have a family here who loves you, little one. You're my daughter now, my baby girl and I won't let anyone hurt you ever again."

"Our daughter," Esme said softly as she laid down on top of the blanket, curling against Angela's back. "She's our baby girl," she said as she wrapped her arm over Angela's waist and let her hand rest on her husband's chest. "You are part of our family," Esme promised and kissed Angela's warm soft hair. "Our little girl."


End file.
